Apparatus for counting ballots



(No Model.)

F. E. HOLT.

APPARATUS FOR COUNTING BALLOTS.

No, 602,011. Patented Apr. 5, 1898.

mineses 176087760? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. HOLT, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR COUNTiNG BALLOTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 602,011, dated April5, 1898.

Application filed February 21, 1896. Serial No. 580,226. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANK E. HOLT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Counting the AustralianBallot, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore the method of counting has been for a precinct officer of onepolitical party to take a block of fifty ballots and an officer of adifferent party a tally-sheet upon which are printed the names of thecandidates appearing on the ballot. The first officer looks over eachballot, calling off the names which have been marked by the voter, andthe second places a mark in front of each of the corre spending names onthe tally-sheet. It is not convenient for the one calling the names towatch the other with the tally-sheet, nor for the latter to have an eyeon the ballot while attending to his end of the business, so that anerror, intentional or otherwise, made by either officer is not likely tobe discovered unless a recount of the votes is called for.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for counting theAustralian ballot, by means of which the liability of error and thepossibility of fraud, so much complained of in the method of countingnow used, are removed and the count is made with accuracy and speed. Iattain these objects by using the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the apparatus with ablock of fifty ballots in position for counting; Fig. 2, the clamp; Fig.3, a vertical section of the board on the line 1 2, Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

The board A is of sufficient length and width to properly hold therequired number of ballots. From one side project the two springs B B,which hold in position the clamp O, which has fifty marks upon its uppersurface.

D is the follower, which is placed on the upper margin of the ballots Gafter they are in position and is firmly secured by the buttons E E E E.

F is a straight-edge.

To facilitate the counting,the ballots should be printed so that theblank margin at the top will be of a given width, and the pages shouldbe numbered in the upper right-hand corner.

The method of counting is as follows, viz: The ballots in blocks offifty are first looked over to see if any are improperly marked, any somarked being laid one side to be counted later. The balance are thenfolded with the printed side out and placed upon the board, the firstpage uppermost. The first ballot is placed at the right-hand end of theboard, the right-hand edge of the ballot corresponding with the firstmark on the clamp. The second ballot is placed over the first with itsrighthand edge corresponding with the second mark on the clamp, and soon with the rest of the block. The marks on the clamp are a sufficientdistance apart to show the column of marks made on each ballot by thevoter. WVhen all the ballots are in position on the board A, with theirupper edges resting in the clamp O,the follower D is placed on themargin of the ballots and fastenedin the clamp by the buttons E E E E.If the ballots are properly placed, the figure l will show in the uppercorner of each, thus showing that all the ballots have the first pageuppermost. The straight-edge F is now placed under the first name on theballot and at a glance the whole number of'crosses against that name onthe entire block is counted. The straight-edge is now moved under thesecond name, which is counted in like manner, and so on until the wholeof the first page of the ballot is counted. The clamp O is then turnedover, which brings the second page in position for counting in the samemanner as the first page. In the case of three or four page ballots theyare first folded so as to show two pages, and after these are countedare refolded, so as to show the remaining page or pages. After theballots in the clamp have been counted those laid one side 011 accountof improper marking are counted and the result added to the other count.

The officer who handles the straight-edge must be of a differentpolitical party from the one with the tally-sheet. The first-namedofficer does the counting; but he must be followed by the second, andtheir counts must agree before the entry is made on the tally-sheet bythe second officer, and the first clamp C, held in position by saidsprings, said clamp C, having upon its upper surface marks placed atregular distances from each other to show the proper place for eachballot, and also buttons E, E, E, E, and the follower D, for the purposespecified, all substantially as described.

7 FRANK E. HOLT.

Witnesses:

LUTHER NEWCOMB, C. A. WILKINS.

